The parliamentary election comes just a month after the country was shaken by deadly riots in the town of Zhanaozen, where striking oil workers clashed with security forces over poor pay.

If it wasn't for the snow and the freezing temperatures, Kazakhstan's capital of Astana could easily be mistaken for one of the gleaming cities of the Gulf. A village just two decades ago, it's an oasis in the desert, with its architecture having a distinct Arabic flavor.